This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Sometimes the tastiest meals are created in a pinch.
In an effort to stick to our budget, I decided to get creative with the handful of ingredients we had left in our fridge this past week. I had a few pizza ingredients leftover from a photo shoot, so I had all of my favorite pizza toppings on hand, including green peppers and pepperoni. (Pepperoni isn’t something we eat often, but Applegate Farms is the cleanest brand I’ve found so far.) I also had a head of cabbage in my fridge, a few stalks of kale, and a glass jar of tomato paste in my pantry. Basically, I had everything I needed to re-create the flavor of pizza… but no crust.
I had a feeling that when sautéed, the shredded cabbage would almost become spaghetti-like, so I thought maybe I could just sauté everything together with the jar of tomato paste for a pizza “pasta” sort of dish. As it turns out, it’s more of a pizza-flavored stir-fry, but it’s so delicious I think I’ll be making it on a regular basis from now on!
The beauty of this recipe is that it is SO adaptable. Use whatever you have on hand! It has plenty of flavor with or without the cheese, so it can accommodate nearly any special dietary needs you may have. I hope you enjoy it!
—
Pizza Stir-Fry
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 ounces pepperoni (optional)
1 cup kale, shredded
1 1/2 pounds cabbage, shredded
7 ounce jar tomato paste, no salt added
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup water, as needed for sautéing
2 ounces crumbled feta (optional)
Directions:
Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat, and sauté the onion, pepper, and pepperoni (if using) until tender, about 8 minutes. Add in the shredded kale, cabbage, tomato paste, salt, and oregano, and sauté until the greens begin to wilt. Add the water to help prevent sticking, and cover the pot to let the veggies cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir, making sure all the liquid has evaporated– you may need to cook it for another few minutes to help reduce the liquid. Adjust any seasonings to taste and serve warm, with a sprinkling of feta over the top, if desired.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter
- 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
- 1 green bell pepper , chopped
- 3 ounces pepperoni (optional)
- 1 cup kale , shredded
- 1 1/2 pounds cabbage , shredded
- 7 ounce jar tomato paste
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 cup water , as needed for sautéing
- 2 ounces crumbled feta (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat, and sauté the onion, pepper, and pepperoni (if using) until tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add in the shredded kale, cabbage, tomato paste, salt, and oregano, and sauté until the greens begin to wilt. Add the water to help prevent sticking, and cover the pot to let the veggies cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir, making sure all the liquid has evaporated. Adjust any seasonings to taste and serve warm, with a sprinkling of feta over the top, if desired.
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 511, Fat: 28g, Carbohydrates: 48g, Fiber: 14g, Protein: 24g
Note: I prefer to avoid canned foods as often as possible, so be sure to look for tomato paste that is sold in glass jars for best quality. Also, the tomato paste I used had no salt added, so be sure to adjust the salt as needed if you use a salted variety!
Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite meal to throw together in a pinch? I could eat pizza or spaghetti every single night, so I wind up eating something like this at least once a week, though the veggies usually change depending on what I have on hand.
This is a great recipe for using things you have on hand. I’ve made it as written. I’ve changed spices and herbs to give it a Mediterranean flavor. I’ve spiced it up to give it a Mexican flare. I always use cabbage but change out the leafy greens. I’ve added sliced mushrooms or black beans, yum. It’s appears to be a foolproof recipe.
My husband and I made this on a whim one night after planning to make a few new recipes for our meals. It was one of the best things I have ever eaten! It felt super-healthy, and it didn’t take much time to make either. We added pepperoncinis to the meal, and we actually didn’t have kale, so it was a little different – but still super delish! I was a little worried about how the meal would taste re-heated the next day, but I think it was even better than the night we made it. I sent the recipe to my mom who made it exactly like the recipe, and she LOVED IT too! We’ve already bought the ingredients to make it again – it will definitely stay in our meal rotation!
Must be honest, not one of my favorites. A lot of tomato paste and the flavor was so so. I did read all comments and did carmalize the onions.
Simple, fast and yummy. This is in our meal plan often.
I just made this. I can’t have cabbage so I used 3 zucchini that I spiralized. So amazing! I also added mushrooms with the peppers, onion and pepperoni.
I am wondering if this could be made in the instant pot
I’m Nigerian (and we have a lot of tomato-based recipes) so I have a tip for doing this differently.
Saute the onions to caramelize then set aside, then fry tomato paste for 20m until it doesn’t taste like paste. It’ll change from “essence of tomato” to “sweet-tasting tomato puree”! Then do all the other steps.
For the past 4-6 weeks, literally all of the meals I’ve eaten have been from your website/cookbook. I love how simple they are in preparation and ingredients – but SO flavorful and delicious! It’s changed the way I eat and the way I feel as a result! This recipe is one of my favorites! I throw a little of the walnut parmesan on top and it is just wonderful.
I made this for dinner tonight and am absolutely amazed at how yummy this is! I didn’t use any meat but did add mushrooms because my partner and I love them. He actually said this was one of the best vegetarian meals he has ever had. This recipe is definitely going to be a regular! Thank you!
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Even my husband, who tends to be picky when it comes to healthier dishes, approved! I didn’t have pepperoni, so I substituted in ground beef (locally raised, hormone free) for his dish and left mine meat free. I also added mushrooms, as we are big mushroom lovers. Will definitely make this again! Thanks for the great recipe!